Cutting and winding mechanism for knitted fabrics.



PATENTED MAY 23, 1905.

I. B. WILDMAN.

CUTTING AND WINDING MECHANISM FOR KNITTED FABRICS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5. 1903;

llllllllllllllllIHHHHIHHHH"Hill l N0. 790,770. PATENTED MAY 28, 1905.

w I. B. WILDMAN. CUTTING AND WIN DING MECHANISM FOR KNITTED FABRICS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I I I PATENTED MAY 28, 1905.

F. B. WILDMAN. V CUTTING AND WINDING MECHANISM FOR KNITTED FABRICS.

APPLICATION FILED 531 015. 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 p 'gfr UNITED STATES Patented May as, 1905.

PATENT @EEICE.

FRANK B. WILDMAN, OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 790,770, dated May 23, 1905. Application fiIed September 5,1903. Serial No. 172,161.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK B. l/VILDMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norristown,- Montgomery county, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cutting and Winding Mechanism for Knitted Fabrics, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to textile machinery, and particularly to means for cutting the fabric and for rolling the same as the said fabric leaves the devices which produce it. i

The invention is shown in connection with a knitting-machine producing a tubular fabric, the said fabric after leaving the knitting devices being cut by means operated from a part of the machine.

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front View of the invention, partly in section. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken centrally and vertically of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4: are detail views relating to the roll upon which the cut fabric is wound. Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 1 of a different arrangement of cutting means.

As illustrating the principle and details of construction of my invention I have shown it in connection with a knitting-machine of the circular type. v

In the drawings, 1 represents a knittinghead of any ordinary form, and 2 a part of the fixed frame of said machine. The fabric passing down from the knitting-head is led between a pair of take-up rolls 3, journaled in standards or vertical rods 4:, depending from the rotary portion of the knitting-head. The said standards or hangers at their lower ends have attached thereto the take-up ring 5,adapted to rotate with the knitting-head and resting upon a shoulder 6 of the fixed frame-ring 7, which ring is attached to the frame members 2. The fabric as it passes from the knitting devices to the take-up rolls passes over a spreader 7, so that just before passing through the take-up rolls the fabric is in the form of a flattened tube, and in order to cut the fabric into strips I arrange a series of cutting devices just above the take-up rolls, and as an illustration of devices which may be used for this purpose I show rotary knives 8, carried by ashaft 9, journaled in the hangers 4C. These knives may be driven in any suitable manner, and one way of driving them is described hereinafter. They sever the flattened tubular fabric into parallel strips, and these strips pass down side by side between the take-up rolls 3 and enter between a second pair of take-up rolls 3, arranged in a manner similar to the rolls3 3 and journaled in brackets or hangers 10, depending from and fixed to the rotary take-up ring 5. The cut strips of fabric pass side by side around the lower portions of these lower take-up rolls, and the ends are secured to rollers 11, which are journaled in movable hangers 12, which at their upper ends are con- 'nected to bars or shafts 13, journaled in the brackets or hangers 10. The ends of the cut strips, as before stated, pass between and under the take-up rolls 3 and thence between said take-up rolls and the winding-rolls 11, passing over the latter and being secured there: to by rods 14, arranged in grooves 15, formed in the rollers 11.

By referring to Fig. 2 it will be understood that all the strips cut from the right-hand side of the tubular fabric will pass around beneath the right-hand take-up roll 3 and up over the right-hand winding-roll 11, while all the strips cut from the left-hand side of the tubular fabric will pass under the left-hand take-up roll 3 and onto the left-hand windingroll 11. Both the upper and lower sets of take-up rolls are driven through mechanism to be hereinafter described, and the winding of the cut strips onto the rolls 11 results from the frictional contact of the winding-roll or, after the winding has started, of the wound material on the said roll with the adjacent take-up roll 3.

As before stated, the cutting devices, which may be of any suitable form, are arranged above the upper set of take-up rolls 3, and just above the cutting devices a pair of rods 16 extend acrossbetween the standards 4, said rods being parallel with each other and forming a confined space adjacent the cutting edge of the. rotary .knife through which the flattened tubular fabric must pass. The location of the rotary cutters in relation to these bars and the take-up rolls 3 is such that they will cut the fabric as it passes from the bars 16 to the take-up rolls 3 and is held in proper position in relation to the cutters for accurate cutting.

As a means for driving the take-up rolls and the cutting devices and for consequently controlling the winding of the cut strips the means shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 535,392, granted March 12, 1895, to A. McMichael and F. B. Wildman, are preferred, the said means comprising generally ashaft 17, extending vertically and journaled in bearings 18, carried by the vertical rotary hangers, the said shaft having thereon a worm 19, the rotation of which is controlled by a .friction-clutch-20, the said worm being under the tension of a spring and the said shaft-17 being driven by a gear 22 thereon meshing with -a circular rack 23, fixed to the stationary ringor frame 7, all as disclosed in the said patent, the construction referred to being designed to prevent too great a tension being placed upon thefabric by the take-up rollsto the injury of the fabric or interference with the knitting operation.

As shown in the drawings, the shaft 17 ex tends both above and below the take-up ring 5, and the driving connection, including the worm and friction-clutch, is duplicated for the rollers 3. The connection between the worms and the take-up rolls consists of the worm-wheels21, meshing with the worms 19. I show as a representative way of driving the cutters a s 'irocket-wheel 24 on the cuttershaft, engaged by a sprocket-chain 25, which passes over another sprocket-wheel 26 on a shaft 27, journaled in a bracket 28, connected with the side of the hangers 4:, the said shaft having a beveled pinion 29, meshing with a beveled pinion 30 on the upper end of the vertical shaft 17. The hangers 12 may be pressed, with the winding-rollers 11, toward the takeup rolls 3 by any suitable spring arrangement, such as is shown at 26.

From the above it will be seen that as the fabric leaves the knitting devices it is cut by a gang of cutters driven from the moving parts of the machine, and after being cut the two sides of the fabric, now in the form of strips, will be separated from each other and the strips forming one side will be wound on the right-hand winding-roller, while the strips forming the other side of the tubular fabric will be wound on the left-hand roller, and it will be seen that the operation of the winding-rolls-or the winding of the cut strips is effected by the operation of the machine, so

that the product as taken from the machine consists of a roll of material cut into sections, each section being 1113116 up of. one of the stripsof fabricin the form of a roll.

The invention is not limited in its scope to any particular style of machine, not to any particular form of cutting device, nor to any particular formof driving mechanism.

As another embodiment of the invention the fabric after being flattened from its circular form may be-cut at. the edges of the flattened portion, and in Fig. 5 is shown an arrangement for carrying out this action. The take-up rolls 3 are arranged in a manner similar to that above described and are driven through mechanism as described above. A cutter, consisting, preferably, of a rotary disk 27, is arrangedat a point above the bite of the take-up rolls, said cutter being driven by gears 28 29-, carried by a bracket 30, secured to one of the hangers 4. On the shaft of the gear 29 a grooved pulley 31 is fixed, and this is driven through a belt 32 from a grooved pulley 33 on the upper-end of the shaft 17..

The action in this arrangement, likethat above described, is automatic, the-fabric being cut before it is taken from the machine. I The cutting mechanism is duplicated atthe other edge of the fabric, as at 27 Referring to Fig. 1, in order to take the gang of knives from the machine the shaft 9 is divided at the point 9 and thetwo ends are held together by a sleeve 34 fitting .over the joint between the two portions of the shaft and secured thereto, by screws 35.

The term roll as used herein does not necessarily mean a roll of cylindrical form, as said roll may be in other forms or in the form of a bolt.

By this invention the strips are wound into the form of a sectional roll, with the edges of the layers composing the section intermeshing with the edges of the adjoining section. The cut edges maintain their relation to each other, and the fibers of the engaging edges interlock.

It will be understood that with the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5 the two sides of the fabric are wound up on independent rollers driven from the take-up rolls, as in the form shown in Fig. 1, though in this form the two sides of the fabric are not cut up into strips.

Having thus described thev invention, the features and combination of parts claimed to be new are as follows:

1. In combination, in a circular-knitting machine, with the means for knitting a tubular fabric, take-up means for the said fabric, cutting means for cutting the fabric longitudinally and arranged in fixed relation to the knitting means, and means for reeling the fabric after leaving the cutting means, and take-up, and while' connected with theknitting means.

IIS

2. A knitting-machine, having, in combination, tube-knitting means, a take-up, a rotary cutter between the knitting means and the take-up acting to cut the tube longitudinally and means for reeling the cut fabric while still connected with the knitting means.

3. In combination with a knitting-machine producing a tubular fabric, cutting means for cutting the fabric into strips as it leaves the knitting devices and a plurality of' winding devices for reeling the cut strips while still connected with the machine, said devices consisting of a pair of rolls parallel with each other, substantially as described.

I. In combination with a knitting-machine for producing a tubular fabric, means for cutting the tubular fabric and a pair of windingrollers, one roller receiving the strips forming one side of the tube and the other roller receiving the strips forming the opposite side of the tube, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a knitting-machine cutting means and a pair of winding-rolls for reeling the different strips leaving the cutting means, substantially as described.

6. In combination with a knitting-machine, means for spreading the tubular fabric into flat form, a pair of take-up rolls and a series of cutting means arranged between the spreading means and the take-up rolls and operating on the spread portion of the fabric, substantially as described.

7. In combination with a-knitting-machine,

knitting means, means for cutting the fabric,

a pair of take-up rolls each of which is positively driven and a windingroll associated with the said pair of take-up rolls and driven therefrom by friction for reeling the cut fabric while connected with the knitting means, substantially as described.

8. In combination with a knitting-machine a pair of take-up rolls, cutting means associated therewith and located in a fixed position with relation to the knitting means for cutting the fabric longitudinally, a second pair of take-up rolls, winding-rolls associated with the second pair of take-up rolls and means for driving both sets of takeup rolls by the movement of the machine, substantially as described.

9. In combination with a knitting-machine a pair of take-up rolls, cutting means associated therewith, a shaft having a worm-andgear connection with the take-u p rolls, a friction-clutch connection between the shaft and the worm and means for driving the cutting means from the said shaft, substantially as described.

10. In combination with a knittingmachine, a pair of take-up rolls, cutting means associated therewith, a second pair of take-up rolls, winding means associated therewith and driving means for the two pairs of take-up rolls, said driving means having compensating devices to compensate for different tensions of the fabric, substantially as described.

11. In combination with a pair of take-up rolls for a knitting-machine, cutting means, a second pair of take-up rolls, winding means associated therewith, and compensating driving means for each of the said pairs of takeup rolls whereby each pair of take-up rolls may be controlled to compensate for variations in the tension of the fabric, substantially as described.

12. In combination in a circular-knitting machine for producing a tubular fabric, takeup means and series of cutting means between the same and the knitting devices for cutting the fabric into strips, said cutting means being located in fixed position with relation to the knitting devices, substantially as described.

13. In combination, in a circular-knitting machine means'for cutting simultaneously a plurality of strips from the tubular fabric as it leaves the needles, means for separating the strips and for winding the separated strips into a plurality of rolls.

14:. In combination, in a circular-knitting machine means for cutting simultaneously two sets of strips from the opposite sides of the tubular fabric after leaving the needles and while connected therewith, and means for separating the two sets of strips and winding them into two rolls, said separating and wind ing taking place simultaneously with the cutting.

15. In combination in a knitting-machine means for cutting a plurality of strips from the knitted fabric and means for winding said strips into a sectional roll while maintaining the cut loops of the matching edges of the strips in contact and while the fabric remains connected with the needles, substantially as described.

16. In combination with a circular-knitting machine, cutting means for slitting the fabric longitudinally, and winding means for reeling the cut fabric, said cutting means and winding means revolving with the machine and bearing a fixed relation to the knitting devices and means for operating the cutting and winding means, substantially as described.

17 In combination, with knitting devices for knitting a tubular fabric, means for distending or spreading the tube, and cutting means located on one side of the tube to cut through both sides thereof, substantially as described.

18. In combination, with knitting devices for knitting a tubular fabric, means for flattening the tube and means located on one side of the tube for cutting through both sides thereof, substantially as described.

19. In combination with knitting devices for producing a tubular fabric, means for spreading the tube and means for cutting strips from opposite sides of the tube while connected with the knitting devices.

20. In combination with knitting devices for knitting a tubular fabric, take-up means, and cutting means located on one side of the -tu be for cutting through both sides, substantially as described.

21-. In combination with devices for knitting a tubular fabric, means for flattening the tube, means for cutting from one side of the tube, through both sides of the fabric, and means for reeling the strips thus formed, substantially as described.

22. In combination, with a circular-knitting machine, means whereby the tubular fabric is made to present flat sides to cutting means, and a plurality of cutting devices disposed along the said flat sidesto cut the same into a plurality of strips,substanti all y as described.

23. In combination in a circular-knitting machine with the revolving parts thereof, cutting means and take-up means revolving with the machine, and means for driving the said cutting means and take-up means, substantially as described.

24:. In combination, in aVcircular-knitting machine having revolving parts, cutting means to sever the material into strips and winding means revolving with the revolving parts of the machine, and means for driving the winding means as the machine revolves.

25. In combination, in a circular-knitting machine, and with the revolvingparts thereof, take-up means, cutting means and winding means all revolving with the machine, and means for driving the take-up, cutting and winding means as the machine revolves.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

F. B. WILDMAN.

Witnesses:

CARRIE LANDIs, WALTER DONALDSON. 

